Market Insights

Distinguished has made an acquisition that should interest both golfers and brokers alike! In this press release published Dec. 4, 2017, we announce our exciting news about acquiring the international leader in golf promo prizes, American Hole ‘n One (AHNO).

“This is a marriage of equals, and we are excited about the future,” notes Mark Kissick, AHNO’s new president. With this acquisition, Distinguished will build on AHNO’s successful history and focus on major business growth. Check out more info about this new venture at Distinguished, and please contact us with any questions.

Floods are the most common natural disaster in the U.S. and also the most costly, according to FEMA. The House of Representatives is voting this week to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which expires Dec. 8. BUT we urge you to tell your representative to VOTE NO on this bill, which would slash the “Write Your Own” reimbursement rate, thus cutting agents’ commissions. Take action here.

TED talker Dan Pink is promoting a right-brain revolution in the business world. He challenges listeners to rethink how businesses motivate staff. Pink makes a strong argument for intrinsic versus extrinsic rewards. But how well would this approach work in traditional workplaces, and how can we incorporate his ideas into our own companies?

Mobile apps, online ordering, and automated kiosks—what’s a restaurant’s best bet for adding tech? More and more eateries in the hospitality industry are paving the way for an automated future—one where sales increase, costs go down, and customers are happier to skip a line and some in-person wait time.

New restaurant technology is becoming a standard, and a digital lunchtime of ordering and paying before picking up your food is becoming the norm. A restaurant with a mobile app benefits with: enticing photos of food for customers to peruse, click-to-call buttons for customers who use the app to get ahold of the restaurant, and easy access to leaving reviews on important sites. Not to mention access to the entire menu, specials, and discounts or loyalty rewards.

Imagine you’re making vacation plans to explore a new city or country. Picture a comfy bed, a suggested guide to the city left on the bedside table, an eat-in-kitchen and a bathtub to soak in…Did you picture a hotel room or someone’s empty apartment? The hospitality industry is continuing to consider consumer preferences as Airbnb approaches its 10-year anniversary in 2018.

Crowdfunding is turning the real estate investment sector on its head: It allows a group of investors to pool their money together to fund real estate transactions. On-line platforms connect individuals to commercial real estate investments across the United States, making it easier for them and real estate companies to raise capital as compared to traditional channels.

Work it, baby! Millennials are moving up in industry, baby boomers are set to retire, and the number of companies that facilitate work-from-home jobs is on the up and up. In fact, it’s been growing for decade.

Ten years ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 19% of the workforce did so from the comfort of their home office. Cue the footy pajamas. Now that figure is closer to a quarter of the workforce in the US and rising.

A confluence of events could have a real impact on tourism and the hospitality industry in the United States. There is the proposed travel ban of six countries by the Trump Administration, consideration of extreme vetting of foreigners entering the U.S. by the government, and a strong dollar that may dampen the spirits of visitors coming to our shores for sightseeing, some fun in the sun and great shopping.

Could robot hotels be in our future? In Nagasaki, Japan, the future arrived last year and is planning to clone itself exponentially.

The Henn na Hotel, staffed by 140 robots (and a half dozen “flesh and bloods” like you and me), takes care of guests’ needs from check in to check out via robotic assistance.

Maybe you’ve done self-check-in on your laptop at a Marriott or even used your smartphone to open your room door at a Hilton. In several California hotels, robot butlers have been working the hallways to deliver extra towels and amenities. But the Henn na Hotel is taking tech to a whole new level.

More than 150 cities and counties in 25 states across the country have adopted what is widely known as “ban-the-box” laws so that employers consider a job candidate’s qualifications first, without the stigma of a criminal record. More jurisdictions are also adopting policies in addition to ban-the-box, such as incorporating the best practices of the 2012 U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidance on the use of arrest and conviction records in employment decisions and strategies for compliance with existing anti-discrimination laws under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

More than 150 restaurants nationwide have declared themselves “sanctuary restaurants.” But what does this mean?

For starters, it’s a way for small or large establishments to declare their commitment to anti-discrimination policies in response to potential immigration changes. It is a way for these businesses to ensure safety for immigrants who may face workplace mistreatment or retaliation. Many restaurants rely on immigrant staff to run operations and want to ensure fair treatment for their employees. Hate crimes, deportation threats, and fear of raids are also concerns that sanctuary restaurants are addressing.

3-D printers—they’re not just for making cool plastic things anymore. They’re for making dinner!

That’s right 3-D food. Consider it the hospitality wave of the future that’s already lapping on some shores. Just take some pureed raw chicken, add in some vitamins, minerals, and veggies, and print out this liquefied form into any shape you can imagine. Then just pop in the oven to cook! That’s what the innovative culinary company Food Inc. from London, England, has been up to these days as it showcases this new way of cooking on a restaurant world tour.

We’re seeing a whole new kind of rooftop hangout from San Fran to New York to Paris and Taipei. It involves one rockin’ queen, a few hundred thousand of her closest friends, and jars upon jars of honey as a bonus.

Bee hotels. It’s what’s happening on a hotel roof near you.

The Colony Collapse Disorder is no joke. The decrease in bee populations across North America and Europe is of significant concern, so some leading hotels have taken the opportunity to help combat this problem by setting up shop for bees. Bees are a vital part of the food chain, and creating safe homes for them is key.